Love Finds Its Time - Chapter 19

Wen Qinghan attended meetings for a total of five days. During that time, Shi Qingqiu mostly stayed in the hotel memorizing her script lines, only going out occasionally. After all, Wen Qinghan had already arranged her three meals a day. On top of that, Shi Qingqiu had some work to handle remotely on her computer, and reading scripts took up plenty of time, so she didn’t go out often. In these few days, Pan Jiawen hadn’t really contacted her—at least not for business. At most, she sent her a quick greeting on WeChat and chatted a little about two new artists the company had just signed, dropping hints here and there for Shi Qingqiu to give them more attention on Weibo.

Shi Qingqiu only laughed at this. The company wasn’t sure yet whether she would renew her contract, so of course they were looking for the next cash cow. If she renewed, that would be ideal; if not, they could still leverage her current influence to help promote the newcomers. Since she was still under contract, Shi Qingqiu couldn’t ignore it completely.

On the last day of Wen Qinghan’s meetings, Shi Qingqiu was in the hotel considering whether to go out for a stroll. Before she could decide, her phone lit up with a call from Yao Rui.

It had been quite a while since she last spoke to Yao Rui, so she picked up happily.

“Long time no see, my superstar,” Yao Rui teased exaggeratedly as soon as she opened her mouth.

“How long has it really been? By my count, it’s only been a few days,” Shi Qingqiu replied with a smile. She sat at the desk Wen Qinghan had been using these past days, holding the phone in her left hand while her right hand typed on the laptop.

“My goddess, it’s been almost two weeks, okay?” Yao Rui said in mock annoyance. From the background sounds, she seemed to be walking around at home in slippers. “Ever since that dinner with you and Lawyer Wen, you two disappeared without a trace. Tell me honestly—how far have you gotten?”

She knew about their marriage, and also knew that Wen Qinghan wanted to develop their relationship further. That was why she had deliberately given them space instead of asking Shi Qingqiu out as usual whenever she returned to City B. Not hearing from Shi Qingqiu all this time, and with Shi Qingqiu not contacting her either, naturally left her wondering—could there have been progress?

Shi Qingqiu just smiled again, deflecting. “What’s this talk about progress or not? It’s still the same. You know perfectly well what our relationship is.”

“So you two don’t plan to… develop?” Yao Rui said while opening the cupboard for a cup and pouring tea. “You’re already like this. Sooner or later you’ll end up on the same path as everyone else. You know what I mean.”

Of course Shi Qingqiu knew what she meant. Once both families knew they were married, the next topic would naturally be children—a matter inevitably entangled with their careers and situations.

But it was too early to talk about that. Clicking save on her document, Shi Qingqiu replied vaguely, “I know. But it’s still too early for that.”

“As long as you’re clear about it yourself. Just don’t end up scrambling when the time comes,” Yao Rui reminded her, carrying her tea back to the living room to continue watching TV.

At that moment, Shi Qingqiu suddenly said, “Little Rui, Qinghan’s on a business trip. I came with her. These past few days, except when she’s in meetings, we’ve been together.”

Though the meetings took up most of Wen Qinghan’s time, she always spent her free hours with Shi Qingqiu. Even if much of it was going over meeting notes, it still counted as time together. And with Wen Qinghan’s meticulous care, Shi Qingqiu hardly needed to leave the hotel. She spent each day in the room handling things on her computer and reading scripts.

Yao Rui, just settling onto the sofa, froze mid-motion, her legs ending up in an awkward position. “What did you say?” she asked, then broke into laughter. “Wait, what’s going on here? That fast already? Tell me—one room, one bed?” She felt it was only natural to be shocked by such progress. After all, before this, Shi Qingqiu couldn’t stand the thought of marriage, even finding admirers troublesome. Who knew what Wen Qinghan had said to convince her to marry—and now, it seemed, they were slowly moving toward being like a real couple.

Yao Rui had never thought highly of flash marriages, and this situation was pretty much the same—no love, just marriage for some reason. But compared to Shi Qingqiu being alone and brooding over the past, this was far better. Not to mention, maybe Wen Qinghan had her own intentions.

Shi Qingqiu sighed softly, then laughed. “Even if we weren’t married, we’re both women. What’s so strange about sharing a room? Besides, I already agreed to spend my future with her. Some things can’t be avoided forever. Luckily, we get along well enough. She’s a good person.”

“From the way you say it, it doesn’t sound bad at all.” Yao Rui grinned, genuinely happy for her.

Shi Qingqiu shut her laptop, stood, and walked to the window. Facing the vast blue sky, her heart suddenly felt just as wide, as if freed from desire, the scars of her past gradually fading with the breeze. She pressed her fingertips lightly to the glass, sliding them down along the lines of the distant high-rises, her voice airy. “Actually, neither of us thought much about the future. We just wanted someone by our side. Neither of us wanted to meet more people, sort through them, and then shoulder the pain when things fell apart. That’s why she and I are the best suited for each other.”

A marriage without love might not be enviable, but one couldn’t deny that it might last longer. Having someone who knows you—someone who might not agree with you, but never resents you; someone who can share their setbacks with you—what’s wrong with that kind of life?

Shi Qingqiu couldn’t think of a reason to refuse, only more reasons to agree with Wen Qinghan’s idea. She had no strength left to build trust all over again, only to watch it collapse once more.

“Qingqiu, is that really how you think?” Yao Rui asked seriously. It seemed likely that Wen Qinghan had said something that struck a chord with her, which was why she agreed to marry.

“Mm.” Shi Qingqiu closed the window to keep out the wind, then curved her lips into a smile. “Don’t worry. There’s no problem between us now. Once we’re back, we’ll set a time to meet.”

Sensing Shi Qingqiu didn’t want to continue on that topic, Yao Rui agreed and shifted the conversation elsewhere.

***

That day marked the end of the exchange event. Over the past few days, lawyers from different firms had grown familiar during breaks, and even after the meeting ended, they were still lively, discussing whether to get together in the evening.

Wen Qinghan walked at the front with files in her arms, when behind her, Li Wenxiao’s excited voice rang out. “Hey, Old He, tonight we drink until we drop! You know this area well—pick a place.”

“No problem. Dinner or late-night snack? Honestly, we’re more famous for our late-night spots. Since you’re leaving tomorrow, we have to take you out for something good tonight,” He Xiang immediately chimed in. From the sound of it, he and Li Wenxiao were walking close together.

A woman’s voice laughed, “You men always act on impulse. We women have to watch our figures, okay? If we eat and drink with you, who’s going to take responsibility if we go back a size bigger?”

The other women joined in, teasing. “Exactly, who’s responsible?”

Cheng Haotian chuckled. “The one who suggests it should take responsibility, of course.”

Handsome and popular among colleagues, a golden bachelor, his words prompted another man to joke, “Perfect then—why don’t you take responsibility for Lawyer Wen, and leave the other beauties to us?”

The group erupted in laughter. Suddenly, Wen Qinghan stopped and turned around, her expression distant, her tone cool. “Apologies, but I won’t be joining tonight’s gathering. Siqi, Chen Yi, Wenxiao, the three of you mind the time—don’t forget tomorrow’s flight.”

Everyone knew Wen Qinghan was aloof, but the abrupt way she turned serious in the middle of a joke made them uneasy, wondering if they had angered her.

Sensing her discomfort, and recalling their last conversation, Cheng Haotian quickly smoothed things over. “It’s fine. Lawyer Wen must have something to do. We’ll go. Lawyer Wen, have a good rest—we’ll see you next time.”

Wen Qinghan’s lips curved slightly, her tone still even. “Alright. Have fun tonight, I’ll excuse myself.”

Everyone responded in unison, relieved. Those outside of Yihan Law Firm couldn’t help thinking privately: how did Yihan’s employees survive the daily chill without freezing to death?

***

Everyone returned to their hotels. As always, Wen Qinghan’s expression remained light, neither weary nor energetic.

Shi Qingqiu took her briefcase and asked, “Qinghan, if you’re tired, why not nap for a while? There’s still time before dinner.”

At the bathroom sink, Wen Qinghan was washing her hands, water flowing through her fingers, rinsing away the foam. Slightly bent, head lowered, she didn’t look at Shi Qingqiu as she asked, “Mm. What did you do today?”

“Not much,” Shi Qingqiu replied. “Looked at my script and went over my upcoming schedule.”

Drying her hands, Wen Qinghan came out and reached for her briefcase. As she walked toward the bed, she asked, “Was it that commercial shoot you mentioned? What kind is it?”

Shi Qingqiu smiled, pressing her lips together. Sitting down beside her, she exhaled. “It’s a new phone launch. The deal was made a while ago, and the shoot’s in a few days. We’ll be back in time.”

Wen Qinghan nodded. Thinking of how little time she’d had to take Shi Qingqiu out during these days, she realized they still had the whole evening left—it wouldn’t do to stay in the hotel again. After all, the reason she’d asked Shi Qingqiu to come was to spend more time together. With that thought, she turned to her and asked, “Qingqiu, how about we go out for a walk tonight?”

Shi Qingqiu froze, surprised by the initiative. Seeing the faint furrow in Wen Qinghan’s brow, she couldn’t help laughing. “Is this… an invitation?”

Relaxing her brow, Wen Qinghan curved her lips faintly. “You could say that. So, shall we go?”

It was rare for Wen Qinghan to invite her out. In the past, it had almost always been Shi Qingqiu who suggested it. But lately, Wen Qinghan had been the one to initiate more often—not a lot, but enough to show that things were different now, their relationship weighing more heavily in her thoughts.

Shi Qingqiu’s eyes narrowed slightly, the corners lifting with a smile. “Of course we’ll go. Why wouldn’t we?”